3 Roth IRA Rules You Need to Know – 265

Roth IRAs are pretty simple in structure: Pay taxes now, enjoy tax-free income later. It’s one of the most appealing concepts in retirement planning. But like most things in the tax world, the details matter, and missing them can lead to unexpected taxes at exactly the wrong time.

What does it really take to make your withdrawals completely tax-free? How do the different five-year rules actually work, and why do they trip so many people up? And what happens to a Roth IRA after you’re gone… does it stay tax-free forever, or are there strings attached for your beneficiaries?

Learn how you can potentially use these rules to your advantage from podcast host Johnny Dean and Rick “The Professor” Plum, CFP® on this week’s episode of Managing Your Financial Future!

A Roth IRA offers tax deferral on any earnings in the account. Qualified withdrawals of earnings from the account are tax-free. Withdrawals of earnings prior to age 59 ½ or prior to the account
being opened for 5 years, whichever is later, may result in a 10% IRS penalty tax. Limitations and restrictions may apply.

Traditional IRA account owners have considerations to make before performing a Roth IRA conversion. These primarily include income tax consequences on the converted amount in the year of conversion,withdrawal limitations from a Roth IRA, and income limitations for future contributions to a Roth IRA. In addition, if you are required to take a required minimum distribution (RMD) in the year you convert, you must do so before converting to a Roth IRA.